Carrying bag with a removable insert

ABSTRACT

A carrying bag with a removable insert for retaining personal items of a user and make the personal items easily transferable between several bags or purses. The insert has a plurality of organizing compartments and pockets formed therein for the personal items. The outer walls of the insert and the inner walls of the carrying bag hollow shell are provided with strips of securing members, for instance hook-and-loop fasteners. The insert is formed from a flexible material with stiffening elements to allow the insert to remain in an upright orientation outside of the carrying bag shell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to carrying bags, purses, and other similar containers used for retaining personal items of an individual. More particularly, the present invention relates to a carrying bag with a removable insert.

Many women have their favorite purses or bags that are used almost every day. Many individuals also have purses designed to match their outfit on a particular occasion. Since women usually carry many personal items in their purse it becomes necessary to transfer the personal items, such as beauty products, mobile phone, coin purse, checkbook and the like, from one purse to another. An alternative would be to have several sets of the personal items for use when carrying different bags. This alternative is not very practical since many individuals have only one mobile phone and coin purse and duplication of these items may become expensive and time-consuming.

Many carrying bags, or purses have one or two compartments, and the personal items become “lost” in the bag's main cavity. As a result, the task of locating the necessary item, be it a pair of spectacles, beauty item or a pen, becomes time-consuming and sometimes frustrating.

The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of an organizing insert that can be transferred from one carrying bag to another with a minimum of effort and time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore an object of the present invention to provide an organizing insert that can be easily transferred from one carrying bag to another along the personal items of the user.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a carrying bag with removable organizing insert.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved through a provision of a carrying bag and an insert for positioning in the carrying bag, such as purse. The carrying bag is formed as an open-top, closed bottom hollow shell with a handle. The insert is formed as an open-top, closed bottom housing dimensioned and configured for positioning in the bag outer shell. The inner walls of the outer shell and exterior walls of the housing carry attachment members allowing the insert to be detachably secured within the shell.

The insert has dividers forming a plurality of compartments and pockets to facilitate organizing of the personal items within the insert. The insert can be easily removed from one purse and positioned in another bag or purse, together with the personal items stored in the insert.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrying bag in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the organizing insert in accordance with the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in more details, numeral 10 designates the carrying bag in accordance with the present invention. The bag 10 comprises a main outer shell 12 defined by an open-top body. The shell 12 can be made of various materials, such as leather, canvas, and of different sizes.

The shell 12 comprises a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, a first side 18, a second side 20 and a closed bottom 22. The shell 12 defines an open-top chamber 24. A carrying handle 26 is secured to the front wall 14 adjacent a corner 28, where the front wall 14 joins with the first side 18. An opposite end of the carrying handle 26 is attached to the rear wall 16 adjacent a corner 30, where the rear wall 16 joins with the second side 20.

Of course, the connection of the handle 26 to the front and rear walls 14 and 16 can be made in a different location, if desired. The length of the carrying handle 26 may differ depending on the intended design of the bag 10.

A decoration 32 may be secured on the front wall 14, if desired. The decoration 32 may be secured detachably by hook-and-loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, hooks and the like, and changed depending on the user's preferences. Alternatively, the decoration may be fixedly attached to the front wall 14 in a well known manner.

An inside surface of the rear wall 16 carries a strip 34 made of hook-an-loop fasteners. A similar strip 36 of hook-and-loop fasteners is secured on the inside surface of the front wall 14. The strips 34 and 36 serve as securing elements for a removable insert module 40.

The removable insert module 40 is sized and shaped to fit in the chamber 24. The insert 40 is defined by an open-top housing 42. The housing 42 is defined by a front wall 44, a rear wall 46, an insert first side wall 48, an insert second side wall 50 and an insert bottom 52. An open top allows access to the insert inner chamber 54. The inner chamber 54 houses one or more longitudinal dividers 56 that extend from the insert first side wall 48 to the insert second side wall 50. The dividers 56 divide the chamber 54 into two or more large compartments 60 for holding personal items.

One or more cross dividers 62 is secured transversely to the longitudinal extension of the dividers 60. The cross dividers 62 create one or more smaller vertical pockets 64 for retaining smaller personal items, such as mobile telephones, glasses and the like. The cross dividers 62 can be secured between the walls 44 and 46 and one of the elongated dividers 60, or between the dividers 60, depending on the design preferences.

An elongated strip 68 made of hook-and-loop fasteners is secured to the outside surface of the insert front wall 44; the strip 68 extends between the insert first side wall 48 to the insert second side wall 50. The hook and loop fasteners of the strip 68 are designed to matchingly engage with the hook-and-loop fasteners of the strip 36 secured to the shell front wall 14. A similar strip 70 of hook and loop fasteners is secured to the outside surface of the insert rear wall 46. The strip 46 is adapted to mathcingly engage with the strip 34 secured on the shell rear wall 16. Of course other securing means may be employed, if desired, such as for instance zippers, snaps, buttons, etc.

The insert housing 42 is formed from flexible material allowing the walls to be slightly deformed when removing and positioning the insert 40 in the shell 12. The insert 40 may be made from a variety of materials, for instance silk, cotton, canvas, and the like. Stiffening material can be used in the construction of the insert housing 42 to allow the insert to remain in an upright orientation on the bottom wall 52 without collapsing and spilling the contents of the insert module 40. Similarly, the dividers 60 and 62 can be provided with stiffening elements to allow the compartments and pockets to be easily accessible when the insert module 40 is positioned in the carrying bag shell 12.

If desired, the insert module 40 can be sold separately from the main shell 12, allowing the user use the same insert module with different shells 12. The personal items stored in the organizing insert 40 can be easily transferred from one carrying bag to another without the need for removing these items from one bag and depositing them in another bag.

Many changes and modifications can be made in the design of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. I, therefore, pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A removable insert device for a carrying bag, comprising: a hollow housing defining an inner chamber therein for receiving and retaining personal items of a user; and a means carried by an exterior of the housing for removably positioning the housing within a carrying bag.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises at least one longitudinal divider positioned in said inner chamber and dividing the housing into two or more compartments.
 3. The device of claim 2, further comprising at least one pocket divider secured in said chamber and extending transversely to said at least one longitudinal divider.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an open top, a closed bottom, a pair of opposing side walls, a front wall and a rear wall.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein said securing means comprises a pair of strip of hook-an-loop fasteners each positioned on an exterior of the front wall and the rear wall.
 6. The insert of claim 1, wherein the carrying bag is a purse.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing is formed from a flexible material with stiffening elements to allow an upright orientation of the insert within the carrying bag.
 8. A carrying bag, comprising: an open-top, closed bottom outer shell defining a hollow chamber therein; a removable insert housing positionable within the hollow chamber of the outer shell; and a means carried by interior walls of the outer shell and exterior walls of the housing for selectively securing the insert housing within said hollow chamber.
 9. The carrying bag of claim 8, wherein said outer shell comprises a front wall and a rear wall, said housing comprises an insert front wall and an insert rear wall, and wherein said securing means are carried by the front wall and the rear wall of the outer shell and by the insert front wall and the insert rear wall.
 10. The carrying bag of 9, wherein said securing means comprises matching strips of hook-and-loop fasteners secured on the front wall and the rear wall of the outer shell and on the insert front wall and the insert rear wall.
 11. The carrying bag of claim 8, wherein said housing comprises at least one longitudinal divider positioned in said housing and dividing the housing into two or more compartments.
 12. The device of claim 11, further comprising at least one pocket divider secured in said housing and extending transversely to said at least one longitudinal divider.
 13. The carrying bag of claim 8, wherein the carrying bag is a purse.
 14. The carrying bag of claim 8, further comprising a handle secured to said outer shell.
 15. A carrying bag, comprising: an open-top, closed bottom outer shell having opposing side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, said shell defining a hollow chamber therein; a removable insert positionable within the hollow chamber of the outer shell, said insert comprising an open-top, closed bottom housing having opposing insert side walls, an insert front wall and an insert rear wall said insert being dimensioned and configured to fit within the hollow chamber of the outer shell; and a means carried by interior walls of the outer shell and exterior walls of the housing for selectively securing the insert housing within said hollow chamber, said securing means comprising strips of hook-and-loop fasteners secured to the front wall and the rear wall of the outer shell and the insert front wall and the insert rear wall.
 16. The carrying bag of claim 15, wherein said housing comprises at least one longitudinal divider positioned in said housing for dividing the housing into two or more compartments, said at least one longitudinal divider extending between opposing side walls of the housing.
 17. The device of claim 16, further comprising at least one pocket divider secured in said housing and extending transversely to said at least one longitudinal divider.
 18. The carrying bag of claim 15, wherein the carrying bag is a purse.
 19. The carrying bag of claim 18, further comprising a handle secured at non-opposing corners of the outer shell.
 20. The carrying bag of claim 15, wherein said housing is formed from a flexible material with stiffening elements to allow the housing to remain vertically oriented outside of the outer shell. 